Scouting Report: Lynx at Fever Game 3 - WNBA Finals

The Lynx have leveled the score with their performance in Game 2 Wednesday night, and they look to gain their first lead against the Indiana Fever tonight in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals.

The Lynx had a rough start Wednesday night, scoring only 11 first-quarter points, but they came alive in the second half. They hope to build off the momentum that started during the third quarter of Wednesday’s game and carry that energy into tonight.

“We have got one of the best road teams in the league,” coach Cheryl Reeve said. “So we have great confidence going down to Indy.”

Last time out

Maya Moore and Seimone Augustus combined for 50 points in Minnesota’s 83-71 Game 2 victory. After a sluggish first quarter, the Lynx held on for a 33-31 halftime deficit, but the shots started falling in the third. Augustus drained 15 points in that quarter alone, and the Lynx put up 29. Tamika Catchings had another outstanding performance, scoring 27 points and grabbing eight rebounds, while Shavonte Zellous added 16 points. The Lynx outrebounded the Fever 32-20, including a 17-2 advantage on the offensive boards.

Many noted the physical nature of the series thus far, including the players: “We definitely expected it to be physical,” said Maya Moore. “It’s the Finals; all we can do is to continue to attack and try to draw fouls. We need to play through it and just play together, not let it frustrate us or knock us off our stride. We just need to continue to push through like we did [in Game 2].”

Key matchup: Maya Moore vs. Tamika Catchings

Maya Moore has come through big for the Lynx in this series, putting up a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) in Game 1 and 23 points in Game 2, 18 of which came after halftime. She boasts a 17.9 points per game average through the playoffs, as well as six rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.

The Fever’s Tamika Catchings continues to be a force for her team, having scored 20 and 27 points in Games 1 and 2 of the Finals. She’s put up 18.5 points per game during this postseason, and like Moore, the versatility of her game is a staple of her team’s play. A threatening long-range shooter with the moves and quickness to get to the basket, Catchings has proven a difficult defensive task for the Lynx.

Injury report

The Fever are still hoping to get Katie Douglas (ankle) back on the floor before the end of the Finals, but coach Lin Dunn said she won’t be seeing any time unless she’s able to play at a high level. Douglas sustained the ankle injury during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against Connecticut and has missed Games 1 and 2 of their series with the Lynx.

Added to Indiana’s injury list Wednesday night was guard Jeanette Pohlen, who suffered a knee injury early in the game. Coach Dunn said yesterday that the information she received Wednesday night about Pohlen’s status was not good, and that she wasn’t expecting her back on the floor for tonight’s contest.

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